Soulitary
by Auroralias
Summary: AU It is the year 5XXX and Magic, Meisters and Weapons have become the foundations of the world. Kagami Taiga enrolls in Seirin Academy and hopes to become one of the best Meisters, a Paladin, but he can't do that without a Weapon. He then meets the prodigy, Aomine Daiki and our story unfolds from there. Aokaga and hints of: MidoTaka, Akakuro and KiKasa.
1. Prologue: Legend of the First

**A/N: I've split the prologue into four parts- two for the general setting, one for Kagami and one for Aomine. I know it's going to be a bit of a hassle to read but please just bear with it ^_^"**

**Also, I guess you could think of this fic as a mix between Soul Eater and just whatever pops into my mind (how reliable).**

**Status: Unedited**

**Thank you to epiphanein and firebyfire on Tumblr for contributing to the idea.**

_**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke **_

* * *

******Prologue: Legend of the First**

"_Long ago, in a time where magic was the only main foundation of the world, two travellers stumbled upon a purple-like stone. One of the travellers picked it up and upon doing so, a dark cloaked figure appeared in front of the two. The traveller who had picked the stone up, quickly dropped it in surprise and stepped back._

"_Do not be afraid, human." The cloaked figure said and bent down to pick up the stone. "Nothing good comes out of fear." The other traveller, who was watching the small exchange, walked up to the cloaked figure._

"_Who . . . no. What are you?" The cloaked figure opened up his palm, the purple stone suddenly shining brightly. _

"_I am the bearer of this stone." The traveller raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt. "I am about to leave this world in the search for another, but I cannot bear to leave this power in the hands of evil. Which, is why I am going to leave it with you two." The traveller who had picked up the stone before, walked up to the two. _

"_Why? You don't know who we are. We could have bad intentions and you wouldn't know it." The figure chuckled, sending a shiver down the two traveller's spines. _

"_Oh I know who you two are. Trust me. First off I would like you two to hold onto this stone at the same time." The two travellers exchanged confused glances, but nonetheless obliged. As the two placed their hands on the stone, the stone began to glow brighter and a magic circle appeared beneath their feet. _

"_Have fun with your new powers, humans." And with that, the cloaked figure disappeared into the wind. _

_Screams could be heard, and blood could be seen splattered onto the glowing magic circle. As the intense glow died down, a single human could be seen holding onto a glowing gun, the same magic circle engraved onto the grip of the gun._

-and that is the legend of the first ever Meister and Weapon, also known as _'The Legend of the First'_." A red-haired woman closed the book and smiled at her 7-year-old son.

"That's so cool! Read it again!" The red haired woman sighed.

"I think that's enough for tonight, Taiga." She said, and pulled the covers over him as he laid down, pouting.

"Hey mum . . . is it really just a legend?" As she smiled at him, he couldn't help but feel something was off about her smile.

"Taiga, if you could choose would you want to be a Meister or a Weapon?" He didn't question why she was avoiding his question, he was only 7 after all.

"I would want to be a Weapon!" He exclaimed cheerily.

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Because they're cool!" She chuckled at her son and kissed him on the forehead.

"I see. Goodnight, Taiga." She turned the lamp off and walked out, but not without glancing back at her son, a worried look on her face.

**_Prologue: Legend of the First  
-End-_**

* * *

**__****Question: If Aomine was a weapon, what type of weapon would he be? **

**__****And**

**__****What element would you associate him with?**


	2. Prologue: 2-3

**A/N: I combined the next two prologues since they were both really short (I should've written all of them and combined them into one chapter, I know.)**

**Sorry if the whole world setting is a little confusing.**

**Status: Edited on 27/04/2014**

**Thanks for all the reviews and follows! :')**

_**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke**_

* * *

**Prologue: Current State of Events**

It is the year 5XXX, mankind have already delved into the depths of magic and soul studies.

The reason the 'Legend of the First' is only a legend, is due to the fact that nobody knows about the true history of how Meisters and Weapons came to be. The legend is a mere speculation based on large magic/summoning circle that has forever been engraved into the ground in Britain.

Special wizards are chosen at the age of 10 to become either a Meister or a Weapon. At the age of 10, a special mark appears on a wizard's body, called an '_Animus'_, symbolizing their 'soul wavelengths'. Only two people in the world share the same _Animus_, and those two are destined to be partners in battle (in rare cases, three are chosen). In order to differentiate between a Meister and a Weapon, the _Animus_ appears in different colours. Black, for a Meister and the colour red for a Weapon.

Nobody knows who chooses these almighty protectors, some say it's god while others say it's the cloaked figure from the legend. But even so, Meisters and Weapons have always been protecting the world from the souls that have fallen into depravity.

And in this world is where our story is set.

_**Prologue: Current State of Events**_

_**-End-**_

* * *

**Prologue: Kagami Taiga**

"Kagami Taiga. 15 years old. His red hair and split eyebrows are what makes him stand out in a crowd. At the age of 5, he moved to America for reasons that are kept strictly confidential, but we are assuming that he went there in order to train his magical abilities with his aunt. At the age of 10, he was chosen to become a Meister. Last year, he returned to Japan, for reasons that are also kept strictly confidential. He has also received high praise from his school in America for his outstanding magical talent." A man with black hair and silvery blue eyes placed a folder, with the words 'Kagami Taiga', on a large desk. Sitting behind the large desk was the principal of Seirin Academy, Midorima Shintarou. His bandaged hand pushed up his glasses and reached across the table to pick up the file.

"He seems interesting enough. Although you don't normally seem interested in the private lives of students. What about him has caught your eye, Takao?" The silvery blue-eyed man, Takao Kazunari, chuckled.

"What makes you say that? I'm just curious about this boy. After all, his _Animus_ bears no resemblance to any of the other incoming students." Midorima narrowed his eyes.

"So? It may be rare but it's not unseen when it comes to new students. There are a lot of academies just like ours you know. What exactly are you planning?" Midorima caught the sparkle in Takao's eyes, and widened is own.

"Don't tell me…"

"It's possible, Shin-chan. I went and did a little investigation and he fits the description perfectly. Also, you may be interested to know that his _Animus_ is the same as a certain someone's." Midorima leaned forward a little.

"Who?" Takao grinned.

"Never mind that! There's another really interesting student as well!" Midorima sighed and leaned back, he could always find out for himself later.

"Who?' Takao pulled out the folder he was holding behind his back and placed it on the desk.

"Ku-ro-ko Te-tsu-ya." Midorima widened his eyes just a tiny bit.

"Kuroko? So he's entering our academy? If he is then that means Aomine will also be entering as well? How troublesome." Takao's face fell.

"Actually, he hasn't put down anyone for his Weapon and Aomine appears to be entering Touou Academy." Midorima raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? Aren't they partners?" Takao shook his head.

"The thing is, I did a little digging and I guess you could say something _weird_ came up." Midorima pushed up his glasses.

"Continue."

"Their_ Animus_ have changed." Midorima stood up abruptly and slammed the desk.

"_What_!?"

"Also, Kagami Taiga appears to have the same _Animus_ as Aomine."

_**Prologue: Kagami Taiga**_

_**-End-**_


	3. Prologue: Aomine Daiki

**A/N: Last prologue for the story.**

**Not exactly proud of this chapter,(I had writer's block), but it'll have to do for now...**

**Status: Edited on 27/04/2014**

**Thank you for all the reviews and follows! I'm so happy I could interest people with this fic...**

_**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke**_

* * *

**Prologue: Aomine Daiki**

Prodigy. Genius. Strong. Undefeatable. Douchebag. Asshole. Aomine Daiki had been called many things in the past few years of his life. Of course he wasn't always as strong as he is currently. He started off just like any other wizard, a beginner with no experience whatsoever. He just trained more than anyone else had during his childhood.

At the age of 10, he was chosen to become a Weapon.

At the age of 12, he met his Meister, Kuroko Tetsuya, when he entered Teiko Junior High. They both became friends in the blink of an eye. Sure, it took Kuroko a while to get used to using Aomine as Weapon, especially since his physical and magical abilities weren't that great in the first place. But, they managed to pull through their first year as partners and as friends.

Everything changed after that.

In their second year of junior high, Aomine's abilities and strengths increased drastically, slowly leading towards their inevitable future. Aomine's personality gradually changed from friendly and outgoing, to an arrogant bastard as he defeated enemy after enemy, without breaking a single sweat. However, Kuroko couldn't give up on bringing back the old Aomine. He kept telling him that _"someone more amazing than Aomine-kun will appear soon", _but his efforts ended up falling on deaf ears.

It didn't help that in their third year, Aomine and Kuroko's _Animus_ had changed all of a sudden. Stunned at this new-meant-to-be-impossible change, Aomine and Kuroko continued to drift apart, their last tie, which had been their Meister-Weapon bond, had broken.

. . . And during their graduation, Aomine had walked up to Kuroko and said,

"_The only one who can beat me is me. I can't have a Meister who can't defeat me. I'll become my own Meister."_

**_Prologue: Aomine Daiki_**

**_-End-_**

* * *

**A/N: And now the story can begin.**

**Note: There will be more detail about Aomine and Kuroko's past as the story progresses. **

**And, I'm glad that there are a lot of suggestions for Aomine's element/weapon (it'll be so hard to decide ^_^). Most of the suggestions are different so I hope you'll be happy with what I end up deciding in the end.**

**Also, since I'll be aiming for longer chapters I can't really guarantee quick updates but I'll try my best.**


	4. Chapter 1: Beginning

**A/N: Ayyyy I wrote a longer chapter this time. Thanks again for all the reviews and follows! **

**I hope this chapter is to your liking ^_^ (I'll try to improve on describing magic spells and all that, and keeping it in character, and just writing in general lol.)**

_**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke**_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Beginning**

"_-and remember not to talk to anyone you deem suspicious. Got it?"_ Kagami grunted into the ear piece he was given the night before.

"I know, I know. I'm not a little kid anymore." He said as he walked through Seirin Academy's black, iron gates. He stared at the huge crowd gathering at the large front door leading to the gym, where the opening ceremony was to take place.

"Woah. There's so many people here." He walked into the growing crowd, trying to push his way through.

"_Of course, Kagami-sama. Seirin Academy is widely recognized for its high success rate of producing fine young Meisters and Weapons. It's a no-brainer that there would be a lot of incoming students."_

"How many times have I told you not to add the '-sama' at the end?" The voice on the other end chuckled.

"_That would be disrespectful, Kagami-sama."_ Just as he began to tell his butler off, the doors to the gym opened, and everybody began to shove their way through, making him fall face-flat on the ground.

"_Are you okay, Kagami-sama?"_ His butler asked, when he was the only one left outside of the gym. He quickly stood up, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

"I'm fine. Let's just go."

Upon entering the gym, to say he was amazed was an understatement. The inside was nothing like he had expected, and it looked bigger than it did on the outside. There was a long aisle in the middle of the rows of red velvety chairs, leading towards the stage which had a large podium covered in white cloth, with a number of seats along each side. The ceiling was filled with flowers in a red-then-black pattern, with a chandelier hanging in the middle.

"Wow. How classy and unexpectedly elegant."

"_Kagami-sama, you should hurry and sit down before the ceremony begins."_

"Right." Luckily, there was a seat right next to where he was standing. As he sat down, a calm voice next to him made him jump.

"Hello."

"HOLY-! Don't go creeping up on people, you little-! " He looked at the person sitting next to him, observing him sceptically. The person was a teal-haired boy who had an expressionless façade on. What baffled him was the fact that this boy had nearly no presence, and had little magical energy wafting off of him.

"I was here the whole time." Kagami raised an eyebrow at this statement.

"_He doesn't seem to be a bad person no matter how weak he looks to be. You might as well make some friends during your stay, Kagami-sama."_ He sighed, he might as well keep his butler happy if he didn't want any trouble from his parents.

"What's your name, kid?" The boy seemed to have frowned, but he couldn't be sure.

"I'm not a kid, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya. It's nice to meet you. . ."

"Kagami Taiga. Are you a Meister or a Weapon?"

"I am a Meister, I'm guessing you are as well?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Your magical energy makes it obvious and to be honest, it's also a little suffocating. You might want to tone it down a little." Kagami grunted and crossed his arms.

"You can analyse magical energy and soul wavelengths?" Kuroko nodded and turned back towards the front.

"It seems the ceremony is about to start."

"_What a weird boy." _Kagami grunted in agreement.

* * *

"Please welcome, your principal, Midorima Shintarou." Applause echoed around the gym as a tall man with green hair, holding a frog statue, walked onto the stage and stood behind the podium.

"Hello new students, and welcome to Seirin Academy. I congratulate you all who have been accepted by us and for making it here to be with us today. For starters…"

"What a weirdo." Kagami mumbled, squinting his eyes at the man as if sizing him up.

"Midorima-kun is the same as always I see." Kagami looked towards Kuroko in astonishment.

"You know this guy?!" Kuroko nodded.

"He used to be my magic trainer, alongside Takao-kun." Kuroko pointed at the raven-haired man sitting on stage, beside an empty seat.

"Oh. Were they good?" Kuroko turned to Kagami and stared.

"W-What? I just want to know if my future is in good hands." Kuroko turned back to the front and said,

"Rest assured. They are one of the best magicians out there." Kagami didn't question the hint of sadness that was in his voice, and turned to the front.

"For those of you who do not have a partner yet-"Kagami straightened his back.

"-do not worry. Your education will not be hindered. Just keep in mind that there might be some setbacks, but as long as you do not let this bother you, you can still have the same quality of education as the next person. I'd like to introduce our assistant principal, student counsellor, and soul studies teacher, Takao Kazunari. If you have any problem at all, you may contact him and he will try to help you." Takao grinned and waved, making a few girls in the audience gush.

"And now, once I call your name up, I would like you to come up and receive your timetable and dormitory key, if you ordered one, from Aida-sensei and Kiyoshi-sensei. First on the list-"Kagami stretched his arms up above his head and sighed happily at the satisfying cracks produced.

"Ahhhh. It's finally over. I thought I was going to die of boredom."

"Kagami-kun." Kuroko stared at him, as if analysing him.

"Hm? What is it, Kuroko? And don't go staring at people you idiot!" Kuroko ignored the insult and continued to stare.

"Can I take a look at your _Animus_?"

"Why?" Kuroko stopped staring and turned away.

"Don't worry about it. I might be mistaken." Kagami raised an eyebrow.

"_Kagami-sama, I think you're being called up." _

"What-"

"KAGAMI TAIGA."

"Oh shit." He jumped out of his seat and walked up to the front, his face heating in embarrassment when he heard other students snickering. He bowed as he received his timetable from a brunette, Kiyoshi-sensei he recalled.

"Good luck on your studies, Kagami-kun." Kiyoshi-sensei said, giving him a warm smile.

"Uh. Thanks-Thank you very much, sir." Kagami walked down the stairs and sat back in his seat. Kuroko glanced over at Kagami's timetable.

"You're not going to be living in the dorms, Kagami-kun?"

"No. My parents don't like me living in a dorm since they have no way of protecting me ther- I mean, uhhhh"

"It's okay to have protective parents, Kagami-kun. People don't get suspicious over that."

"Oh okay, phew. WAIT-"

"Kuroko Tetsuya."

"It seems I am being called up, I'll talk to you later then." Kuroko stood up from his seat and walked towards the stage, leaving a confused Kagami behind.

"_It seems as though we have a tricky person on our hands, Kagami-sama. You should be more careful. Ah well I guess it's not as surprising since he seems to have the ability to analyse magical energy and soul wavelengths. Even so, watch what you are saying."_

"Yeah. I'll be more careful."

* * *

Thankfully, exiting the gym wasn't much of a hassle as entering it as this time, the teachers were all guiding the students out and keeping an eye on any troublemakers. Glancing around for his newly found friend, Kagami assumed he was swallowed up in the crowd and decided to look for him later. Once outside of the gym, he walked off to the side where it was less of a commotion and looked at his timetable.

"Let's see, classroom . . . room 102 huh?"

"It seems we are in the same class, Kagami-kun."

"WOAH! Kuroko don't do that, geez!

"I wasn't doing anything, Kagami-kun. In fact, I was here-"

"The whole time yes I've got it. Can't you do anything about your weak presence?!" Kuroko looked a little upset at this, catching Kagami off guard.

"I've tried, but nothing works. I've been like this my entire life." Kagami felt a little guilty for what he said.

"Oh. Uh. Why don't we get to class? Wherever room 102 is." Kuroko took out a map of the school he just so happened to have, and studied it, Kagami looking over his shoulder.

"There are 4 major large buildings in the academy, two for the dormitories and two for actual educational purposes. The two buildings used for education are connected by a glass tunnel on the second level."

"That's neat, but where's our classroom exactly?" Kuroko looked up at Kagami.

"Don't you want to learn about how our school operates?"

"Not really." Kuroko sighed, seeming a little disappointed.

"Our room should be in the first building, Block A, first floor, second from the end."

"I guess that makes sense. Let's go." Kagami began to walk off, Kuroko quickly following behind as he stuffed his map back in his bag.

* * *

"Room 102. Here it is."

"You like to point out the most obvious things don't you, Kagami-kun?"

"S-Shut up." Kagami slid open the door, which stopped the students' conversations, and walked in, the students returning to their conversations once they saw it wasn't anyone special. He walked to the seat second from the back and next to the window.

"_Just like the protagonist of an anime I see."_

"Y-You shut up."

"May I ask who you are talking to, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko sat down on the seat behind him and looked at him curiously.

"I-I wasn't really talking to anyone."

"Oh. So Kagami-kun likes to talk to himself? I see…."

"Oi! I don't talk to my-"He was cut off by a feminine voice.

"Alright, alright! Class is starting!" A lady with long pink hair and a warm smile walked into the classroom, making everyone go quiet, and a few boys marvel at her beauty.

"Oh, Momoi-san." The woman glanced at Kuroko and squealed.

"Tetsu-kun! What a surprise!" A few boys in the class glared at Kuroko, envy clear in their eyes.

"Kuroko, why the hell do you seem to know a lot of teachers in this school?" Kagami said, a hint of respect in his voice.

"I have my ways, Kagami-kun."

"Anyway! My name is Momoi Satsuki, and I will be your Magical Studies teacher! Since this is the first class everyone is having, why don't we start off by introducing yourselves?" Momoi-sensei took out her class roll and began to call out students, asking for their previous school, magician type, and magical ability.

"_Kagami-sama."_

"What is it?" Kagami whispered into his earpiece, wary of whether or not anyone would catch him.

"_There's a fallen soul heading straight for your classroom. It's a cloaked type, judging from the fact that nobody has noticed it yet." _Kagami's eyes widened.

"How much longer?"

"_. . . 10. . . 9 . . ." _

"Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?!" He aggressively whispered, a little confused at how the academy didn't have a protective barrier like a normal school would.

"_I apologise, Kagami-sama, it didn't appear on my radar until now, but since it is a cloaked type, I'm not so surprised."_

"What am I supposed to d-"His sentence was cut off when a dark, beastly figure broke in through the window, glass shattering everywhere. Once what had happened registered in the students' minds, everything became hectic. The fallen soul shot a dark beam at a scared student, the student becoming paralysed in fear. Momoi-sensei quickly intercepted the beam using a shield made up of flowery vines, and shouted,

"EVERYONE GET OUT OF THE CLASSROOM! SOMEBODY GO GET MIDORIMA-SENSEI OR TAKAO-SENSEI!"

* * *

**A/N: Just so you know, I'm planning to update weekly from now on and when I mean weekly I mean any time the week after I update.**

**Keep those suggestions on Aomine's weapon and element coming! **


	5. Chapter 2: Trigger

**A/N: See end of chapter.**

**Status: Unedited**

_**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke**_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Trigger**

Everyone rushed out of the classroom, a few of them running in the direction of the principal's office. No matter how much Kagami wanted to take care of the fallen soul, he didn't want to raise any questions, so he had no choice but to follow the crowd. Once he reached the doorway, he stopped to glance back at Momoi. The fallen soul was captured in a rectangular barrier, banging on it to try and escape. Momoi was quickly typing something into a floating touch-screen, which he assumed was a product of the latest, new technology humankind had been developing.

"Kagami-kun, we should hurry and get outside to safety."

"WAH-KUROKO!" Kuroko was standing behind him, giving him a disapproving look.

"This is not the time to be surprised, Kagami-kun." Kagami walked out into the hallway.

"Do you rea-"He was cut off as a siren blared in the hallway, led by the sound of screeching chairs and increasing chatter.

"_Kagami-sama."_

"We should probably go." He said as he began to run in the direction of the exit, Kuroko tailing behind him.

"Oh really, Kagami-kun."

"Spare me your sarcasm, Kuroko."

* * *

Once they got outside, they were followed by large masses of students, most of them freaking out, while some of them were excited.

A few minutes later, the teachers walked out of the building, Midorima holding a megaphone. He walked to the front of the large crowd of students and began to speak into the megaphone.

"Everyone, calm down. The fallen soul has been taken care of, and disposed of carefully. Now, I'm sure you all know that this academy, much like other schools, is protected by a strong magical barrier-"

"_So they do have a protective barrier. It's not so strong if a fallen soul got in, now is it, Kagami-sama?" _Kagami grunted in agreement.

"-but for some reason, the barrier has been found to have a little crack in its surfacing. Rest assured, it is now being repaired as we speak by some of the teachers, but, if anybody knows what could have caused this issue, I'd like for you to come talk to me, or any other teacher. You can now return to your classes. That is all." Kagami groaned, along with other students, at the thought of having to return to classes.

"_Kagami-sama, it seems I must leave you to your own devices from now on."_

"What are you talking about? Did something happen?" Kuroko turned to Kagami, looking a little amused.

"Kagami-kun, to a normal person, talking to yourself would make you seem crazy."

"I'm not talking to myself!" Kagami blurted out before he could stop to think. Kuroko raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Who are you talking to then?"

"_Looks like you're going to have to handle this yourself, Kagami-sama. Well I'll be off."_ A vein throbbed in Kagami's forehead. How dare that butler leave him in the middle of a crisis. Kagami reached up to his ear and yanked out the ear piece, crushing it and chucking it behind him as he began to walk back to class

"Let's go, Kuroko."

"You didn't answer my question." Kuroko said, catching up to him and walking alongside him.

"Shut it."

* * *

"Midorin~!" Momoi shouted. She was standing outside the large door leading to the principal's office, one hand holding onto a touch screen, the other knocking on the door. The door opened to reveal, Takao, grinning at Momoi. He then, along with Momoi walked up to the large desk with a certain brooding principal sitting behind.

"Shin-chan! Momoi-san is here!" Midorima pushed up his glasses and sat back in his leather chair.

"I am well aware of that, Takao. Momoi, I assume you're here to present information on that abnormal fallen soul." Momoi placed her touch screen in mid-air above the table and let go of it. As it stayed afloat, she turned it around to face Midorima.

"The thing is, there's nothing unusual about the fallen soul." Takao raised an eyebrow, while Midorima picked up the floating touch screen and scrolled through the data.

"You sure? I'm sure I've been feeling something 'off' about the air around here for a while."

"Just let her finish, Takao." Takao pouted, but kept silent and Momoi giggled at the exchange.

"As I was saying, there is nothing abnormal at all about the fallen soul, or so my scans say. I think what happened was that somebody broke or made a hole in the barrier, which allowed the fallen soul to enter." Midorima let go of the touch screen, seeming unsatisfied at the lack of information there was.

"That does seem to be the most logical idea. However the question is, who and why."

"Shin-chan, that's two questions."

"Shut up, Takao." Takao simply chuckled and walked behind the desk, putting his arms around Midorima. Momoi squealed at the action, while Midorima flushed in embarrassment.

"Takao, let go of me."

"Hehe. Nope~ I'll never let go of Shin-chan." Momoi aw-ed at the statement, as Midorima flushed an ever deeper red, struggling to get out of Takao's grip.

"Oh by the way, Shin-chan. The way you were speaking to the students suggested that someone in the student body was involved in this. Do you really think that?" Momoi nodded in agreement. Midorima pushed up his glasses, having given up on trying to remove Takao's arms around him and instead leaning into the warmth.

"There have been certain traces of a dark energy lurking around in the walls of the academy. Also, don't forget about the students who have gone missing at the end of last year."

"Hmm. You have a point, Midorin. But, I don't think you should go scare the children like that."

"How in the world did I scare them? I simply told them to talk to an adult if they knew anything about it."

"Shin-chan, you're getting frustrated." Takao said softly, as if trying to tame a beast.

"Midorin, telling them they should talk to someone is just going to make it even harder for them to talk. Teenagers are weird you know." Momoi felt like she was scolding a child, and started to feel a little guilty. Midorima was always one to act calm and mature, but sometimes he could become easily frustrated due to the many worries hanging around in the depths of his mind. During these times, it was always Takao who could calm him down and soothe his frustration.

"If that's all then I'll go and leave you two alone now." Momoi winked at Takao who grinned mischievously, and left the room.

"Lying isn't a good trait, Shin-chan." Midorima pushed up his glasses.

"We wouldn't want to get innocent bystanders into this, Takao."

* * *

After the whole fallen soul incident, the day flew by quickly (not quickly enough in Kagami's opinion) and soon enough, it was the end of classes. Walking alone out of the building, Kagami contemplated on whether or not to go to the nearest Maji Burger and fill up his stomach before heading to his apartment. He was alone because Kuroko apparently had to meet up with someone and _'Kagami-kun should find other friends to hang out with'_. He snorted at the idea of finding other friends, he was already deemed intimidating by most of his classmates. He had managed to gain favour with some of his teachers though, which was good since as his magical abilities were superior to most 15 year olds, he was a complete idiot when it came to academics.

As he was walking and debating whether or not homework was more important than food, he heard a familiar voice near him.

"Aomine-kun! How many times have I told you not to skip classes?! You should at least go on your first day!" Kagami glanced around until his eyes laid upon a pink haired lady walking next to a dark blue haired boy who seemed to be the same age as Kagami, walking on the opposite side of the road.

"Shut up, Satsuki."

'_Isn't that Momoi-sensei?'_ He thought as he stared at the two. Suddenly, he felt a slight pain coming from his right palm. He raised it up to see that his_ Animus_ was glowing a bright dark blue. Remembering that Animus' only glow brighter when two of the same one are close together for the first time and during in combat, he glanced around looking for anyone who looked to be in the same situation as him.

"Aomine-kun! Your _Animus_ is glowing!" He froze as he looked across the road at the two, gauging their reactions. 'Aomine-kun' was simply shrugging it off as if it happened all the time, which angered Momoi.

"Aomine-kun! Don't you know what this means!? Your Meister is near!"

"So?" Momoi looked at him as if he was an idiot and then began looking around. Kagami noticed this and quickly turned around, pretending to be interested in the flower stand he was standing in front of. He crossed him arms, hoping that the glow would be unnoticeable and praying to the gods that Momoi wouldn't notice him. It wasn't as if he didn't want to have a Weapon, he did. But for some reason, having this 'Aomine-kun' as his partner didn't sit well with him, and he didn't even know what he actually looked like yet. '_Way to jump to conclusions, Taiga'._

"Kagami-kun!" He tensed up and turned around, looking at the pair on the opposite sidewalk. Momoi was running across the road, easily evading the cars that came speeding past. Kagami shoved his glowing right hand into his pant pocket and waved.

"Hello, Momoi-sensei." She walked onto the sidewalk and stalked over to Kagami, determination clear in her eyes. She stood in front of him and stared up into his eyes, making him feel a tad uncomfortable.

"Um-"

"Oi, Satsuki. Stop making this poor guy feel uncomfortable." Kagami was about to protest when Momoi grabbed his right arm and pulled it out of the pocket, his palm glowing brighter than ever.

"AHA!"

* * *

**A/N: Another cliffhanger yay.**

**Have a little MidoTaka fluff for your soul, and if you don't ship it well. . . *coughs awkwardly*.**

**As requested, the other pairing will be AkaKuro!**

**For Aomine's weapon and element, I'll probably end up drawing it out of a hat or something lol**

**Question: Would you rather have Akashi as a senpai, student in the same grade or a student in university/college/whateveryoucallit?**


	6. Chapter 3: Declaration

**A/N: I know it's been almost two weeks, but in my defense, I had writer's block and I've been planning a one-shot for Aokaga day on Tumblr. Unfortunately, this chapter is a short one and it's more of a set-up chapter for the next few chapters.**

**Status: Unedited, Proofread.**

_**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke**_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Declaration **

"AHA!" Kagami jumped in shock and glanced at his glowing palm and then at Momoi.

"Uhh." He began sweating nervously as he observed their reactions. Aomine looked too unaffected for his liking, while Momoi was grinning like she had won the lottery.

"To think Aomine-kun's partner was Kagami-kun! What a coincidence!" Kagami felt a little uncomfortable as they had begun to attract attention.

"**Hey isn't that Aomine Daiki?"**

"**The prodigy?"** _Prodigy?_

"**Hey, hey. Did you hear? About what happened between Aomine Daiki and Kuroko Tetsuya?"** _Kuroko Tetsuya? Kuroko knows this guy? _

"**Kuroko Tetsuya? Ohhh isn't he his Meister?" **_Meister? I thought Kuroko didn't have a Weapon? _

"**Not anymore."** _What?_

"**Seriously?"**

"**Yeah. Apparently Kuroko-san was too weak to handle Aomine's strength**!"

Momoi also noticed the whispers that had captured Kagami's attention and smiled sadly. She let go of his hand, bringing his attention back to the current situation.

"Kagami-kun, this is a childhood friend of mine, Aomine Daiki-kun." She gestured towards Aomine, who simply nodded in affirmation.

"Aomine-kun, this is one of my new students, Kagami Taiga-kun. I hope you two get along really well!" From the tone Momoi was using, Kagami felt as if he was back in preschool.

"No need. I'm leaving." Aomine slung his bag over his shoulder and was about to walk off before a burning sensation enveloped him. Turning around, he put up his palm to intercept the incoming beam of fire. The smoke cleared to reveal Kagami, one palm aimed towards Aomine, his other hand holding onto his arm to steady it.

"Kagami-kun!? What are you doing!?" Momoi exclaimed disapprovingly, though on the inside, she was curious to see what was going on in his mind. Kagami lowered his arms, unsure of what he had just done, he had acted purely on instinct.

"Just making sure this bastard knows that I'm still here." Aomine raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

"I'm sorry, I don't like to waste my time dealing with weaklings."

"Oi, Aomine-kun!" Momoi turned to Aomine, giving him a look of disapproval.

"W-Weakling?! Who the hell are you calling a weakling?!" Kagami felt like choking the guy, when a calm voice interrupted his murderous thoughts.

"It's been a while, Aomine-kun." Kuroko was standing in the middle of Kagami and Momoi, calmly sipping a vanilla milkshake.

"SHI- Kuroko! How long have you been standing there!?"

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi rushed to the teal-haired boy and hugged him tightly.

"I've been here since you attacked Aomine-kun. I also came here to remind you that unauthorized uses of offensive magic can land you in the principal's office. That was one of the guidelines we were told during the opening ceremony. Momoi-sensei, I would've expected better from you of all people." Momoi looked as if her dreams and hopes had been crushed, while Kagami had a look of horror when realization dawned upon him.

"It's been a while. . . Tetsu." Everyone turned towards Aomine, whose eyes were for the first time in Kagami's perspective, unreadable. Kuroko nodded, eyes tinged with sadness and _regret?_

"It's good to see you are doing well, Aomine-kun." Aomine narrowed his eyes.

"You're the same as ever, Tetsu."

"Wait, you know this asshole?!" Kagami said, pointing at Aomine.

"Oi, who the hell are you calling an asshole?" Kuroko nodded.

"Yes I indeed know this, how you put it, _asshole_." Kuroko said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"_Tetsu!"_ Kuroko turned to Aomine, a serious look on his face.

"Aomine-kun."

"W-What?"

"Are you not going to accept Kagami-kun as your Meister?" Aomine scoffed.

"Hell no. There's no way this weak idiot is going to be my Meister." A vein throbbed on Kagami's forehead.

"Excuse me? I am not _weak_!"

"Fine, _not as powerful_. Are you happy now?" A blazing red flame enveloped Kagami's right fist.

"That's it." Kuroko grabbed Kagami's flaming arm, while Momoi stood in front of him.

"You can't, Kagami-kun!" Momoi gave him a disapproving look, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately, while Kagami glared at a smirking Aomine. He took a moment to think about the consequences before finally diminishing his flame.

"_Fine!_ But, just so you know, I will definitely defeat you! And when I do you will definitely become my Weapon!" Aomine snorted.

"Sure. But just so you know. . ." A sudden rush of cold water sliced against his cheek, startling him. He brought his hand up to his cheek, gently touching the cut which was now oozing out blood. He looked up at Aomine, who had a blade replacing his right arm.

"The only one who can beat me is me."

* * *

**A/N: For Aomine's element and weapon, I decided using EclipseKuran's suggestion on it being a broadsword and the water element. Thanks for all the suggestions, and I'm sorry about not choosing yours. I hope you can make do with this though :)**

**P.S Something is up with my tumblr so I can't post this chapter up on there for the time being.**


	7. Chapter 4: Kuroko and Aomine

**A/N: A longer chapter to make up for the late update (longest one I've written for this fic and that says a lot .-.).**

**Also for those who are concerned about Aomine's and Kagami's element clashing with each other, don't worry. I have other ideas that will back that up and 'solve' the problem.**

**As always, thanks for sticking with this fic up until now.**

**Status: Unedited**

_**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or any other anime I've used as references and ideas**_

* * *

**Chapter 4- Kuroko and Aomine**

Kagami glanced at the teal-haired boy across from him, munching aggressively on his burger while he waited for answers. Kuroko sipped on his vanilla milkshake, seemingly calm and indifferent. Swallowing, he scrunched up the wrapper and picked up another burger, getting more annoyed as each second passed.

"Kagami-kun, I can feel the anger radiating off of you." Kagami slammed a fist on the table.

"Well I wouldn't be so angry if you could just tell me what the hell happened between you and that asshole!" Kuroko placed his milkshake down and looked out the window, a distant look on his face.

"It started when I was a young boy living on the streets-"

"This isn't a joke, Kuroko!" Kuroko turned back to Kagami, looking amused.

"We are in a public place, Kagami-kun. Please refrain from attracting more attention then you already have." Kagami looked around and sure enough, people were looking at him disapprovingly.

Sporting a slightly pink hue on his cheeks, he told Kuroko to shut up and continued to shove more burgers into his mouth, making a mental note to ask Kuroko about it later.

* * *

Kagami stepped out of Maji Burger and began to walk down the street, assuming Kuroko was tagging along behind him.

"So Kuroko, can you tell me about it now?"

After a few minutes of no response, he turned around and gaped at the empty Kuroko-less space. _Did he ditch me? Wait, maybe he is here but I can't see him?_

"Oi. Kurokooooo!?" Bystanders gave him questioning looks, causing him to blush slightly.

As he berated himself for not asking for Kuroko's phone number, a paw softly bumped him on the head. Turning around, he came face to face with a puppy and yelled out.

"GAH!" He jumped back in fright as the puppy barked back in response. The puppy was lowered down to reveal Kuroko, mischief dancing around in those light blue eyes.

"Kagami-kun, I can't believe you left-"Before he could finish, Kagami ran behind the nearest tree and crouched down, hands clutching at his red hair. Kuroko walked closer to him, head tilted in curiosity.

"Kagami-kun, is it possible that you are scared of dogs?" The puppy barked, making Kagami flinch. With a trembling voice, he admitted,

"Y-Yeah. I can't really handle them." Kuroko walked around the tree til he was facing Kagami, who had a horrified look on his face.

"But he's so cute." Kagami glared at him.

"Dogs are not cute! They bite everyone and poop everywhere…"

"Kagami-kun." Kagami glanced up at Kuroko holding onto the puppy, both of them sharing the same hurt look.

"Don't look at me like that! And how the hell does it have to same eyes as you?! That's just creepy!" Kuroko looked down at the puppy and made an 'oh' sound.

"You just noticed?!" Kuroko placed the puppy on his head and began to walk off.

"Kagami-kun, you want me to give you an explanation don't you? Let's walk and talk."

"What's with the sudden subject change!? And there's no way I'm going to walk with you with that puppy on your head!"

Kuroko ignored his protests and continued to walk down the path. Kagami quickly stood and ran after him, making sure to leave a certain distance between them. He wanted answers, but he wasn't going to risk his life to get them.

* * *

A silence followed after that, giving Kagami a chance to think about what had happened with Aomine. Aomine was strong, that he could tell from the mere strength glowing off of him. What he couldn't tell, was exactly how strong Aomine was, which unsettled yet excited him.

Usually with a wizards, one could tell how strong another was through pure instinct or through a special ability gifted at birth. However with Aomine, either Kagami's instincts had been failing him or Aomine's magical and physical ability were just that unpredictable.

"We had just entered middle school at the time." Kagami was pulled out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"When I met Aomine-kun, Kagami-kun." Kuroko gave him a disapproving look, making him feel a little embarrassed.

"Oh right. Sorry, continue."

"We became friends pretty quickly after that. I wasn't strong physically or magically, I'm still not, but thanks to our strong soul compatibility we managed to make it through our first year without any major problems. But everything changed during our second year.

Aomine-kun had started to get stronger every day, his magical and physical abilities were surpassing those of a normal middle school wizard. Defeating enemies had become child's play to him, his enthusiasm was no longer there, and neither was his smile. However, this wasn't the only thing that had completely changed him.

It was during our third year. We were on a mission to help some water nymphs purify the water in a large lake polluted with dark energy, when a cloaked figure appeared on top of the lake in front on Aomine-kun. It wasn't a fallen soul, since I could see living soul wavelengths, but it wasn't completely human either.

The water nymphs and I attempted to get to him, but we couldn't as there was a powerful barrier separating us. I tried to call out to Aomine-kun, but he couldn't hear me. I could only stand and watch helplessly as the cloaked figure continued to speak to Aomine-kun. I couldn't hear what it was saying but it definitely affected him, as his eyes had widened and I could feel his emotions go all over the place through our bond. Despair, frustration, anger and disbelief.

Once the cloaked figure stopped speaking, it disappeared, the barrier going along with it.

I quickly rushed to Aomine-kun and asked if he was okay. I knew he wasn't, but I still felt obligated to ask. He turned to me and what I saw shocked me. His eyes were lifeless, the shine he used to have in his eyes was gone. I felt a sudden immense pain afterwards, it felt as if half of my soul was getting ripped out.

He chuckled darkly as I felt tears began to form at the corner of my eyes. I looked up at him, confused. He held up his palm and everything became clear-" Kuroko reached up to pat the yawning puppy.

"His _Animus_ had changed and so had mine when I took a look at it. We had already started to grow distant of each other before that incident so when it happened, we kind of just . . . broke apart.

I don't know what that cloaked figure had said to him, but I didn't give up on bringing the old Aomine-kun back.

But I failed.

On our graduation, he told me and I quote _'The only one who can beat me is me. I can't have a Meister who can't defeat me. I'll become my own Meister'. _That's pretty much what happened."

A silence followed after that, Kuroko focused on playing around with the puppy while Kagami was deep in thought. Kagami took a deep breath and shouted,

"_The only one who can beat me is me_!? _I can't have a Meister who can't defeat me_!? _I'll become my own Meister_!? What the hell is with that!?Don't get ahead of yourself, idiot!-Is what I would say to him when I meet him again." Kuroko looked up at Kagami, eyes widening slightly.

"What?" Kuroko looked back down at the puppy, surprised at the fact that Kagami hadn't screamed about the puppy yet.

"No it's just that. . . Normally people would say that it was my fault he became the way he is."

"Haah!? How is it your fault!? You tried your best to support him didn't you? If anything, it's that cloaked figure. What the hell happened there anyway?!" Kuroko shook his head, a little pleased that Kagami hadn't reacted the way he thought he would have.

"I don't know. But it must've said something that hit the right nerve." Kagami held up his right fist,

"Don't worry. We're going to make him wake up from his nightmare, I promise." Kuroko smiled and held up his left fist, bumping it with Kagami's.

* * *

"You see, when you combine both the Meister's and the Weapon's magic together, it can create an entirely new spell. This combination is usually called a Soul Resonance. In some cases, if your compatibility with your partner is really high, your Soul Resonance could create an *Extreme Magic worthy of the Hall of Fame. Can somebody tell me what Extreme Magic and the Hall of Fame are?" Momoi looked around the classroom, every student trying to avoid eye contact. Her eyes laid upon Kagami, who was sleeping and mumbling.

"Kagami-kun." She walked up to him, the vein on her forehead throbbing. She never liked it when someone didn't listen to her, a.k.a Aomine. She magically formed a whip made out of vines and slashed at his table, making everyone, including Kagami, jump out of their seat in fright.

"Kagami-kun!"

"Y-Yes-err ma'am!"

"Explain to the class what an Extreme Magic is and tell us about the Hall of Fame." Kagami's sweat dropped at the word 'explain' but then he perked back up once he heard the words 'Extreme Magic'.

"Uhhhh. An Extreme Magic is a spell that is pretty much a wizard's maximum power in a spell form. Um. The Hall of Fame is a list of abnormally powerful Extreme Magic spells that are ranked in according to their measure in power.

"Correct! Well done, Kagami-kun!" Kagami grinned albeit relieved, he was never good at academics but when it came to magic knowledge and stories of the First Meister and Weapon . . . Let's just say his old magic trainer/aunt, Alex, drilled those into his brain for the past 9 years.

"I didn't know Kagami-kun was such a nerd." Kagami whipped his head around at Kuroko, who had an amused look on his face.

"I'm not a _nerd_!" He whispered angrily, not wanting to be caught at the wrath of Momoi, she reminded him of that scary P.E teacher, Aida Riko-sensei. Now that he thought about it, he did hear about them being partners.

"Yes, yes. You're an idiot. Happy?" Kagami slammed the table.

"I'M NOT-"

"KA-GA-MI-KUN~! Stay back after class so we can talk." Groaning, he slumped back down in his chair.

"You didn't have to be so violent, Kagami-kun."

* * *

After getting Kuroko to promise him that he would save him a seat in his next class, he walked up to Momoi, who was setting up the interactive whiteboard for the next class.

"Could we hurry? As much as I hate learning, I don't feel like getting in trouble today…" Momoi looked up from her laptop and smiled.

"Actually, I was going to tell you how you could battle Aomine-kun without breaking the rules, but if you really must hurry…" Kagami widened his eyes.

"Tell me!-err-please." Momoi giggled.

"Our school policy specifically states that the only time a student is allowed to use magic without permission is when it is in the form of self-defence." Kagami raised an eyebrow.

"So you're telling me I should force him to attack me?" He said incredulously. Sure, he wanted to give that bastard a piece of his mind and get back at him for their encounter, but to get Aomine to initiate it. . .

"No. What I'm saying is that you should get permission."

"Permission?"

"The easiest way would be to challenge the other in a proper duel or fight. You would have to fill out a lot of paperwork for it and get a qualified supervisor though. The preparations for it would take a while as well, and I can't guarantee that Aomine-kun would accept your challenge. So what will you do, Kagami-kun?" Kagami stayed silent, deep in thought about the consequences. The sounds of students from the next class entering the classroom jolted him from his thoughts. Look up at Momoi with determination in his eyes he said,

"I'll do it."

He didn't know, however, that those three words could lead to the world's end.

* * *

***From Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic**


	8. Chapter 5: Invitation

**A/N: A late update and a short chapter as well! Sorry, just the general perks of being at school happened.**

**Thanks for sticking with this fic up until now!**

**Btw, this chapter is more of a set up for the next few chapters so nothing much happens. **

**Also, I'll_ try_ to reply to reviews this time around so look out for that.**

**Status: Unedited**

_**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or any other anime I've used as references and ideas**_

* * *

**Chapter 5- Invitation**

"Midorin~!" Momoi came bouncing through the double doors, bubbling with excitement. Midorima looked up from his mountain-like piles of paperwork and glared at her.

"What is it, Momoi? As you can see, I have a lot of work to do." Takao, who was standing next to him while holding a notepad, chuckled.

"Don't worry about Shin-chan. Continue what you were going to say." Momoi grinned. Walking up to Midorima's desk, she slammed her palms onto the top of it making the piles of paperwork rustle about.

"I need a favour."

* * *

"-and that's how it is." Kuroko stared at Kagami whilst sipping on his vanilla milkshake. Putting his milkshake down onto the table, he gave Kagami a slightly concerned look.

"Are sure you want to do something like that, Kagami-kun?" Kagami raised an eyebrow, crushing his burger wrapper.

"Are you underestimating my strength?" he growled and picked up another burger from his tray.

"It's not that I'm underestimating your strength or ability. It's just that I don't think you'd be dealing with just Aomine-kun himself."

"What makes you say that?" Kagami said, his voice muffled. Kuroko was silent for a moment, looking out the window with slightly narrowed eyes. He turned back to Kagami.

"Don't worry about it. All I'm saying is that you should rethink this." Kagami grumbled and continued to eat.

* * *

"Aominecchi!" Groaning, Aomine sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Turning to the left, he met Kise Ryouta's sparkling face.

"Shut up, Kise, you're being too loud." Kise pouted and climbed off the steel ladder.

"How mean! Anyway, the teacher keeps complaining about you skipping classes! And do you know who he complains to? Me of all people! Jeez, can't you just go to classes instead of sleeping here on the rooftop? Think about the people who have to suffer!" Aomine snorted and laid back down.

"No way. It's boring."

"Aominecchi!" Aomine cracked an eye open.

"You're being more annoying than usual. Did Kasamatsu reject you again?" Kise sputtered.

"Senpai just wasn't in a good mood today!" Aomine opened both eyes and stared at the sky.

"Kise."

"What?"

"You're losing control of your magic. Calm down." Kise looked up at the sky, and sure enough, it was starting to get unnaturally dark. He brought his palm up to his face, which was glowing a bright yellow, just like his whole body. He was the type to give into his emotions and lose control over his magic.

"Oh." Suddenly, the door to the rooftop burst open, a worried Kasamatsu running through.

"Kise!" Kise looked down the steel ladder and waved cheerily.

"Hello there, senpai!"

"What happened?! Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine! It was on accident!" Kasamatsu gaped at him and then sighed exasperatedly.

"_Again?_ How many times have I told you to keep control?" Kise chuckled and smiled warmly at him. The sky and his body returning to their former states.

"I'm glad you're worried, senpai." A slight blush appeared on Kasamatsu's face, making Kise's heart melt.

"Oi you lovebirds. Get out, I'm trying to sleep." Kise pouted but began walking down the steel ladder to meet with his sputtering senpai.

All of a sudden, the sky began to turn dark and the air became cold, making Aomine and Kasamatsu glare at Kise. Kise waved both his hands and shook his head.

"I'm not doing anything!"

In the sky, a small flame appeared, gradually growing larger and forming a flaming tiger.

"What is that?" Kise said curiously. Kasamatsu stepped in front of him and brought his arms up protectively.

"Kise, stand back."

Aomine lazily stood up from his laid back position and sniffed at the air. Smirking, he stared at the roaring tiger in the sky, whilst touching his slightly glowing _Animus_.

"You've got a deal, Kagami."


	9. Chapter 6: Begin!

**A/N: A longer chapter than the last 〜(￣▽￣〜) Sorry if it seems a little confusing at some parts.**

**Thank you for all the support!**

**Status: Unedited**

_**I do not own Kuroko no Basuke or any other anime I've used as references and ideas**_

**Background info for this chapter (important):**

*** A reality marble is sort of like another world created that is separate from the real world. It's kind of hard to explain it further. From the Fate series.**

**** One of a Weapon's weaknesses is that they have an easily destructible aura surrounding them in weapon mode. When this aura is damaged, more damage is inflicted upon their physical body than a normal attack. When this aura vanishes, the Weapon is forced to go back into their physical mode, or switch the area their weapon is forming in (if their Meister is not present).**

* * *

**Chapter 6- Begin!**

"Kagami-kun, you look horrible." Kuroko said as he stood up and gave his friend a canned drink from the vending machine.

"Shut up, Kuroko. I couldn't sleep last night." Kagami brought the can up to his face and chugged it down. Kuroko gave him a slightly amused look and opened his own can.

"Kagami-kun is like a child."

"Oi!"

It had been 2 weeks since Kagami had sent the invitation to Aomine, and one week since Aomine had sent him a water dragon to ambush him in his sleep in acceptance. Word of the duel spread around the area like wildfire, everyone was excited to see whether or not the undefeatable Aomine Daiki would finally meet his match. Today was the day of the much anticipated battle.

It was to be hosted by Seirin Academy and would be set in a reality marble* created by Midorima Shintarou himself. Everyone was welcome to attend, of course.

"Hey Kuroko."

"What is it, Kagami-kun?" Kagami turned to face Kuroko.

"I've been wondering. Why do they go all out on something as simple as a battle?" Kuroko raised an eyebrow.

"They don't do this in America?" Kagami glanced in his can, a nostalgic look on his face.

"I wouldn't know. I was home-schooled."

"Ah. Well honestly, this is nothing compared to the lengths other academies go to. The academies that lie within Japan are funded depending on how much the public likes you. If you are in the civilians' favour, you get funded more than an average school. The citizens' love to watch battles of magic and strength. Hence, why we sometimes try and turn a battle into a festival-like event in order to gain the favour of the citizens. That's not all.

The academies here in Japan are ranked according to how much power they have. Our own academy is ranked around 5th and 6th, alternating between the two every year, while Touou Academy has been ranked 2nd for the past few years. This battle could affect both academies' pride and honour.

Now that you know of the burden you would be carrying throughout this battle, has your determination faltered in any way?" Kuroko turned to look at Kagami. Kagami grinned and crushed the empty can, making Kuroko smile a little.

"No way. In fact, I think I'm even more excited."

* * *

"Guests from other academies, surrounding communities and others! Welcome to Seirin Academy!" Midorima stood on a podium placed in the center of an oval-shaped, barren area. The crowd cheered loudly from their seats which surrounded all around the area. The whole place was basically just like a football stadium.

"Today, we have two students battling it out for dominance. One, from our own academy. Please welcome, Kagami Taiga!" On one of the round hovering boards which surrounded Midorima, Kagami materialized, the audience cheering in approval. He might not be as famous as Aomine, but even a normal person could tell the sheer power radiating off Kagami was no joke.

"And to introduce the opponent, we have the principal of Touou Academy with us today. Please welcome, Imayoshi Shouichi!" The crowd went crazy as Imayoshi materialized out of thin air from behind Midorima. Imayoshi Shouichi was famous for being part of the higher-ups, the Wizards' Association.

Midorima stepped to the side as Imayoshi took control of the microphone.

"Hello, everyone! I'd like to thank Seirin Academy for hosting this battle between our two students. Without further ado, please welcome Touou Academy's ace, Aomine Daiki!" The crowd cheered even louder than they had before as Aomine materialised on the other side of the podium. Aomine glanced at Kagami sideways and smirked, not going unnoticed by the redhead. Kagami ignored the arrogant bastard and stared ahead.

"There are a few rules we'd like to set for the battle today-"Imayoshi started,

"-first of all, as always, uses of dark magic is prohibited during the match. Secondly, magic used to inflict harm on the opponent should not have enough power to kill the other. Which leads to the third rule, the use of an Extreme Magic is not allowed. Fourth, the winner will be determined when one of the contestants pass out or is no longer able to get up and fight. Finally, the time limit is 20 minutes." The podium along with Imayoshi and Midorima, disappeared. The two men themselves reappeared in the specially designated seats in the front row. The round floating hover boards moved til the two boys faced each other with a 10 metre distance between them. The large television screens floating in the middle of the air turned on, showing close ups of the area and the competitors, making the crowd go crazy. Thick, glass screens slid into place, separating the audience from the battle. This was to ensure that nobody else would get hurt and that the competitors would not be distracted by the sounds of a loud audience. Though, the audience could hear what was going on in the match, so it was more of a one-way glass kind of thing.

Midorima stood up from his seat and brought a microphone to his mouth.

"The battle will now begin!" Kagami jumped off the hover board and rushed ahead, while Aomine calmly stepped off and got into a relaxed position. Aomine's right arm materialised into a blade, a few small ice flakes hovering around the blade.

Meanwhile, a flaming red sphere formed in Kagami's palm as he ran. He stopped running. Placing his palm in a position facing Aomine, he fired. The large beam of fire came into contact with Aomine's blade, sparks flying off of it.

Kagami closed his palm while the steam from the attack rose into the air. Aomine raised an eyebrow,

"Did you really think something like that would work against me?"

"Honestly, no."

"So?"

"I just wanted to see whether or not it would work. I'm surprised you haven't noticed that the ice aura** around your blade has vanished." Aomine glanced at his blade-arm and narrowed his eyes. This didn't happen the first time.

"Oh? Interesting. This didn't happen the first time." Kagami smirked.

"Obviously I've tweaked that spell a little bit since the last time I used it. I would be an idiot if I didn't." Aomine's blade-arm materialised back into his normal arm. His now right arm was slightly burnt and numb.

"So you changed that spell in order to attack a Weapon's weakness? How smart. I wouldn't have expected something that ingenious from someone like you."

"Oi! What the hell did you mean by that?" Aomine smirked and materialised his left arm into a blade, pointing it towards Kagami.

"It looks like you'll actually be able to entertain me for a bit, Kagami."

* * *

"It looks like it has begun." There was a huge screen showing a middle-aged black-haired man sitting down, crimson eyes narrowed. An old man in a butler uniform bowed to the screen.

"Are you sure you're not going to stop them, Kagami-sama?"

"No. Even if we are to stop this battle, my son would still chase after that Aomine Daiki. He is a stubborn fellow after all. Just like his mother."

"Then what about the prophecy…?" Kagami's father sat back in his large leather chair and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"I'll send Alex down to watch him. I'll also inform one of my assistants who is already stationed down there. For now, make sure Taiga doesn't do anything too rash during this battle. Are we clear?" The butler bowed.

"I understand, Kagami-sama."

* * *

Aomine sliced at Kagami, who dodged each of them just barely. _'He's fast. There's barely any openings.' _He thought as one of the attacks managed to reach his cheek, blood oozing out of the fresh cut. He quickly brought his leg up and did a flaming roundhouse kick, aiming for Aomine's stomach. Aomine grabbed onto his leg and sliced at Kagami in a split second afterwards. Luckily, Kagami had managed to duck just in time.

He fired one of his specialised fire beams, making Aomine let go of his leg and step aside. Kagami took this chance to jump back, wanting to create some distance between them. He shivered and looked down at his right leg. Frost was beginning to form on his skin, making his leg slightly paralysed. He glanced up at Aomine who had that knowing smirk on his face.

"Feeling a little cold?" Kagami growled and winced. He brought a slightly shaking hand up to his face and touched the cut, frost was beginning to form there as well. He could feel the cold beginning to seep into his bones. If he didn't do something fast, his whole leg and face would freeze, and spread to his whole body.

Aomine took this as a chance to attack and ran up to Kagami, slicing at him. Kagami was slow in dodging one of the attacks, a fresh cut appeared on his left arm.

"That makes two limbs gone. . ." Aomine said as he continued his onslaught.

The frost was beginning to form faster now, making Kagami shiver and falter in defence. More and more slices were beginning to reach his body. Soon enough, he would be completely immobile.

'_Shit it's so cold . . . this can't be happening! Why am I so weak? No. Snap out of it! Remember what Alex taught you to do when you fight an ice-type' _

After giving himself a prep-talk and having a small flashback to when Alex was lecturing him about ice-type magic, he used the last of his mobility to jump back from Aomine's onslaught. He winced as the impact of his landing caused the ice to resonate and speed up in his body.

"Are you giving up?" He looked up at Aomine, who looked bored and . . . disappointed? Kagami began to focus and direct his body heat to his heart. As a result, his magic aura began to heat up, causing the ice to slowly melt.

"No way. I'm going to destroy you, Aomine." Aomine's eyes slightly widened before returning to their normal state.

"The only one who can beat me is me."

* * *

". . . And that's how it is." Kagami's father rubbed his temple as he spoke with his assistant over his phone.

"_So just to be clear, you want me to make sure Kagami Taiga doesn't win the battle?"_

"Yes. Do what you must. If he wins this, the Dark One will find out for sure. A part of the Dark One lays within Aomine Daiki after all."

"_What about your son's wishes?" _The man sighed.

"It's okay. Alex will handle it."

"_Understood. What about Aomine Daiki then?" _

". . . I'll leave Aomine Daiki to you. Just make sure Taiga doesn't win."

"_I understand. And if this doesn't go to plan and your son wins?"_ Kagami's father stood up from his seat and walked to the large window showcasing L.A.

"Protect him and Aomine Daiki until Alex arrives. Other than that, another plan will be formed to take care of it."

"_Understood. I swear on my life I'll protect those two." _

"Good. That is all. Ah and-"

"_Yes." _

"-don't forget to protect yourself as well."

"_I understand. Goodbye." _

"Goodbye, Kuroko-kun."


End file.
